Press Release – Innovations Grant Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Out To Protect Awarded Innovations Grant

April 25, 2019 (Santa Rosa, CA) Out To Protect was selected by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to receive an Innovations Grant that will fund two LGBT awareness initiatives over the next two years for California law enforcement.

Out To Protect founder and CEO Greg Miraglia said that the grant will be used to provide up to eight LGBT Awareness Training For Trainer courses around the State of California to help law enforcement agencies comply with the new training requirements described in section 13591.41 of the California Penal Code. This grant will also be used to produce a special law enforcement training conference focused on helping law enforcement better connect and serve the LGBTQ community and to support LGBTQ members of the law enforcement profession. Out To Protect will partner with the Napa Valley Criminal Justice Training Center to produce these two initiatives. The San Jose Police Department and Matthew Shepard Foundation will partner to produce the training conference. Greg Miraglia said, “I’m excited to work with these organizations that are so committed to improving law enforcement’s ability to support the LGBTQ community and those LGBTQ people working in the profession. Together we can go a long way to combating homophobia and building trust between law enforcement and the community.”

The training conference will be scheduled in the spring of 2020. It will include two and half days of training on hate crimes investigations, LGBT community liaison program development, creating an inclusive workplace, and how to present the required LGBT awareness training for law enforcement. The conference will take place at a location to be identified later in the South San Francisco area.

Miraglia said, “I am so grateful for this opportunity and for the support from California POST. From the beginning of our work to pass the LGBT awareness training legislation, POST has been on-board and truly supportive. Together, we will improve law enforcement’s ability to serve our communities.” As these initiatives are development, details about classes and conference will be made available at www.outtoprotect.org.